


Memory Games

by AllDolledUpPink



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-23 12:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8327830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllDolledUpPink/pseuds/AllDolledUpPink
Summary: PROMPT: Games. What kind of games do they play? Board games, car games, video games, pranks, etc
Mulder wants to play a game with Scully. Post-Amazing Maleeni. Season 7





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, agoodwoman, for your amazing beta powers and your awesomeness :)

The sunny weather that Los Angeles offered was not able to cast away the frustration weighing on her mind. The case had been successful as it could be. Mulder was delighted to fly them across the country with the pretext that it involved magic. Criminals had been arrested, the case was closed and they were enjoying themselves. As per usual with any investigation, there were a few minor details that needed their attention from the local law enforcement and therefore they would not be heading back to DC tonight as planned.

The forced layover caused Scully to feel irritated and tired. Their flight was scheduled for tomorrow morning 9 AM so she had to endure another night at this sorry excuse for a motel. And, just like Maleeni’s act, this room was in desperate need of some magic.

She looked around the bland room and groaned internally. If only she could somehow transport herself back at her apartment for some much needed rest in her own bed. Her back and feet ached from the constant standing around and was in urgent need of easing physical tension. Going back home also promised another private night with Mulder, to which she constantly looked forward to after most cases, especially if neither of them ended up in a hospital. 

She reveled in the memories of their joining; their bodies matching and fitting perfectly together like magic. A mental connection with Mulder had always provided a strong sense of fulfillment in all the years she had known him but now their carnal connection provided her with a whole other sense of completion that she found she could not get enough of. 

When the last line of their partnership was crossed it was like a huge weight had been lifted for both of them. What they feared would cause a burden in their relationship actually created a sense of lightness. Being Mulder’s everything made Scully feel incredibly happy and it would be all too easy to let her libido rule the direction of the remainder of their stay in Los Angeles. 

She was startled out of her reverie by a knock at her door and couldn’t help but smile. She already knew who it was and she welcomed the warm feeling quickly growing in her belly. She was met by a sheepish looking Mulder. He was carrying paper cups and a white paper bag labeled Toms with an illustration of a hamburger with arms, legs, and a face.

“Hey Scully, are you hungry?” 

She took in his demeanor. He looked like his usual nonchalant self, but she could feel him studying her closely as though he was trying to determine her mood. She met his probing eyes with her clinical gaze.

“Well, it’s a good thing for you that you brought over food," she quipped and gave him a tight-lipped grin. She took the bag from him as she opened the door wider to let him enter.

 

“It’s one of the local favorites,” he told her in that way he liked to cite local folklore or discuss a monster in a lake. “Toms is supposed to be the best burger place in LA. They’re known for their sauce, some kind of secret recipe passed down through generations.”

She gave him one of her patent skeptical looks and rummaged through the bag. He was thoughtful enough to get a burger the way she liked hers without the extra sauce or dripping with bacon. They discovered the cable was out in the motel so they ate their food in companionable silence. 

“We could play a game,” Mulder stated in between bites of his cheeseburger.

“And what kind of game did you have in mind, Mulder?” Scully said with a raised eyebrow.

“I have a deck of cards,” he suggested and he sipped on his drink.

“I’m not in the mood for magic tricks,” she replied quietly. She reached for a fry inside the bag and leaned back against the headboard.

“Poker,” he suggested with a leer.

He waggled his eyebrows and she answered with a look that simply stated ‘Don’t even try.’

“We’ve talked about this, Mulder. Besides, look at this place. It makes my brain hurt.”

He cleaned up the remnants of their meal and stood up.

“Do you just want me to leave you alone then? You could catch up on some sleep.” 

She glanced over at him and knew she didn’t want that.

“No. It’s not that. I just really wanted to get back home.” 

He nodded his understanding and thought for a moment. “Well, how about I challenge you to a game of Memory? There’s not much complicated thinking involved. Loser has to do the expense report.”

She glared at him with an incredulous look. “Muuuulderrr! You’re setting me up! It isn’t enough that you brought me out here with the pretense of this case being an X-file, which it was not, and now you want to sack me with the paper work too?”

She wasn’t fooled by his wounded look that he flashed her as he sat next to her on the other side of the bed. She wasn’t aware that he found her incredibly adorable when she was flustered and indignant like this. What she could see was his trepidation and apprehension to her reaction.

“Woah, Scully. How am I setting you up?” he asked as he wiped secret sauce from the corner of his mouth. “Can’t we just have a friendly game? Nothing ominous. Unless of course you like ominous.”

He tried to stifle his laughter while she continued to glare at him, arms crossed over her chest.

“You’re trying to play it like you don’t have a photographic memory,” she pointed out to him. “That’s cheating, Mulder.”

He took out the deck of cards from his pants pocket and shuffled them around. “Alright. Let’s just play for fun. I’ll take care of the paperwork when we get back. Okay?” 

He gave her his best impression of an innocent man. His hazel eyes flickering with curiosity as to whether she would acquiesce. Chewing her lip, she eyed him up and down and wondered if it might be easier to just strangle him. She had a notion that she was being hustled, but her competitive nature sprung forward.

“Fine, but that still leaves me at a disadvantage in the game.”

He laid out all the cards face down before them on the bed.

“Okay. How about for every one turn I take, you get three? It will be fun.” He reached over and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

She looked at him tentatively and her mood softened. She imagined him as the sweet boy who played games with his little sister before everything changed and the darkness and torment of losing her had swooped in. She could also imagine him being gentle and bending the rules with their child as he taught him or her how to play. The latter thought was pushed away quickly since it would only make her heart ache and she wanted to enjoy herself. These were hopes best considered if a child were to become a reality from her next IVF cycle.

“Ladies first, Scully.”

She carefully chose two cards and revealed them: Six of Hearts and Eight of Clubs. Her second try resulted in the Eight of Spades and the Ace of Hearts. She grinned triumphantly as she picked out the pair of Eight of Clubs and Spades on her third try.

“According to the rules, you get another turn since you found a match,” he told her as he moved the straw from his drink in between his teeth. 

She quickly made another choice of cards, which resulted in her turn being over. 

“Did you know that according to Metasymbology, the numeric value on cards are called Pips?” he offered. “Similar to numerology each value has a special meaning, which is further modified by its suit and planetary influence. The four suits define the basic fields of life. Emotions, thoughts, the material world, and our physical being.” 

He stretched out the word ‘physical’ and his eyes glinted as if he was enjoying a private joke. 

There it was. Their friendly, non-complicated game of Memory was going to turn into another one of his monologues sans the slideshow. And she was too mentally exhausted to take on any kind of repartee with him tonight. She eyed him wearily and sighed.

“Mulder, are we going to play Memory or are you going to read me my fortune?" she smirked. Her tone was serious, but her eyes were bright and teasing. "Or are you stalling since I’m winning?"

“Why can’t we do both Scully? Who says you can’t have it all?” He roamed his hand over the cards as if he could read them with his palm. 

He turned over a card to reveal the Five of Diamonds followed by the Five of Hearts.

"The diamond suit encompasses things such as career, values, security, and adult responsibility. The Five symbolizes change," he said slyly. He turned over the Five of Hearts. "And I get to go again!”

“And the heart suit? What does that represent?” she asked curiously.

He let out a small chuckle and gave her an amused expression. “I thought you weren’t interested in this kind of stuff, Scully.”

Scully held back a frustrated sigh, but her patience was wearing thin. He could see that too.

“All in good time. My turn isn’t over, I’ll get to that part,” he said holding up one finger. He was grinning, smug as hell, taking full pleasure in giving her a hard time. She was amused by his cockiness. She was starting to suspect he had rigged the game. 

He roamed the cards in a similar manner as before and made his next pick: Nine of Spades and Nine of Clubs. 

“The spade suit represents wisdom, acceptance, and transformation while the club represents things like the mind and intellect. And have you ever wondered where the expression the nth degree comes from, Scully?” He didn’t wait for her to reply. “The nine symbolizes the final point and the need to let go. It asks to embrace something much bigger than you. It symbolizes new beginnings.”

Scully watched him quietly from her perch on the bed with her arms still crossed over her chest. She was wondering if she was even going to get a chance to play anymore. It was becoming clear to her that Mulder had rigged the game so he could go on about Metasymbology and still win with just one try. 

On one hand, she did enjoy the sound of his voice when he got on a tangent like this. Very unprofessional and non-game related thoughts were whirling in her head, but she attempted to keep them at bay. It was astounding to her how he could make her feel. On the other hand, they were still technically on FBI time.

He took his time making out his next choice and she could see he was having too good a time. His next pick was the Two of Hearts and Diamonds, another match. 

“Ohh Scully,” he let out in a staggered breath. “The hearts suit represents home, emotions, love, and vulnerability. But with the two that symbolizes seeking union, as two halves will always make a better whole. The deuce also symbolizes contracts and partnerships.”

She was looking right at him, her eyes were dark points of blue, intense with a kind of concentration that she reserved for scientific measures. He made his selection and revealed yet another match. The Ace of Hearts and Diamonds. He looked at her with a smile. 

“Wow, do you know what this means Scully?”

“No. Why don’t you continue to enlighten me, Mulder?” she murmured. 

“Well, you see the ace ranks supreme importance as the ego. It represents desires, hopes, and wants. And well I have already explained what the heart suit encompasses,” he explained. “So when found together like this- I can’t help but think about my heart’s desire.” He gave her his best charming smile and she was struck by the tenderness she saw in his eyes.

He quickly made his next choice. The King of Clubs. He studied the card and chuckled. “Interesting. The king of clubs stands for good character and loyalty and realization for ideals. The card is said to be one who has great power, but one who is not aware of this, and is outwardly cheerful but inwardly reserved. It is also said to have a natural affinity for the queen of diamonds.” 

Scully let out a breathy laugh and said “I uhh, I know someone just like that, but I wouldn’t say he’s reserved.” She gave him a seductive smile and averted her eyes.

He gazed at her appreciatively and skimmed the top row of their game and revealed his second pick. Scully watched with rapt attention and he cracked a wry smile. “And look who it is. It just can’t be helped, Scully.”

He bit his lower lip before he continued. “The queen of diamonds is bursting with innovative ideas and the drive to see them through. She makes the most of transitions by making the necessary changes to take on a new challenge with her endless creativity and that allows them through to the next opportunity. So you see, she just completes him and he wouldn’t be able to continue without her.” 

He spoke softly, every word was meant to find its way to her heart, to tell her in his non-direct and mystical way of how he felt about her. She could fall in love with him over and over. She gazed at him with awe and felt her heart beat faster. 

“But according to the rules of the game, it appears my turn is over so-” 

She closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his. She traced the outline of his mouth with her tongue. A shudder ran through her when his lips parted and their tongues met. His turn was over, he had won and she wanted to give him a prize.

At her insistence they had agreed to not giving in to their desires while on the Bureau’s time, but she couldn’t wait until they got back to D.C. She was only human and there was only so much she could resist of this man’s charms. It felt sinfully good to take a reprieve from her navy-bred self-control as she savored his lips like a fine wine. His card presentation had put her into a frantic state of arousal. The sound of his voice as he recited all that information, nonsense or not, had brought to the forefront what turned her on immediately about him: his intelligence and way with words.

When the kiss broke they pressed their foreheads to catch their collective breaths. 

“Mulder,” Scully started. “Did you rig the game?”

He gave her a mysterious little eyebrow wiggle. He let out a small chuckle and before he could answer she cut him off with her fingers pressed to his lips. Her voice was low and husky, escaping from her mouth in puffs of warm air that tickled his neck. “It doesn’t matter. I have a prize for you, Mulder.” 

Mulder pressed his lips against the curve of her collarbone. Against her flesh and bone he told her over and over how much he loved her. He finished playing their game of Memory on her naked body with matching open-mouthed kisses to her eyebrows, cheeks, lips, shoulders, and breasts. Soon they were both enveloped in the game as they matched every thrust of their bodies to bring them to full release. And in that moment the abysmal little motel room became filled with magic.


End file.
